Disinfecting device for water-closets and the like



April 17, 1928,

L. E. SAUNDERS ET AL DISINFECTING DEVICE FOR WATER CLOSETS AND THE LIKE Filed April 8. 1927 LeWIS Eme5+ Saunders ILA) Mummy.

Patented Apr. 17,1928.

UNITED STATES LEWIS'ERNEST SAUNDERS, OF EASTWOO D SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AND MENDEL FIN- KELSTEIN, OF SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA.

DISINFECTING DEVICE on wA'r cLosErs Aim THE LIKE.

Application filed April 8, 1927, Serial No. 181,951, and in Australia April 15, 1926.

desired quantity of disinfectant or the like,

to the closet whenever the pan is flushed.

. The deviceconsists of a container (which may be the vessel in which the disinfectant or the like is sold) such container being filled r and sealed up withthe exception of two small openings at one end which are preferably in proximity to each other.

One of the-se openings is through a lug or projeetionso' arranged that when the de vice is standing in operating position in a cistern the outlet will be at a lower level. than the other opening. a

The object of this arrangement is to provide two distinct openings into the vessel at different levels so as to ensure discharge from the vessel whenever these hole-s are both uncovered. Each of these openings is adapted to be closed by a valve, each valve having attached to it a float which is sufficiently buoyant when underwater to lift the valve and to hold it in a closed position against its opening on the under-side of the disinfecting container but each valve and float is heavy enough when not sustainedby the water to drop away from the outlet or showing the shield around the valve floats.

valve seating'thus leaving a passage of more or less capacity as desired. 7

These valves are made of brass, gun metal or other non-rusting material and preferably consist of vertical rods having needle points and are so guided that they rise and fall in true vertical alignment with the valve seats.

WVe provide guides for the lower end of each valve beneath which there is an internally screw threaded opening for the accommodation of an adjusting screw upon the upper end of which the valve comes to rest.

erse of the valve to'be adjusted by elevating or depressing the screw thereby'regulating the. admission of air and the discharge of disinfectant as will be readily understood.

The screws also enable the valves to be This arrangement enables the travnot in I If this vessel is stood in an inverted position in 'the cistern as illustrated it is obvious that every time the clstern discharges its water the floats willbecome inoperative and the valves will drop away from their seats. Owing to the difl'erenceof level of the two openings airv will enter" the vessel through the higher opening and disinfectant will be discharged through the lower opening, the amount of discharge depending upon two factors viz :the time the valves are off their seats during the'fall and subsequent rise of waterin the cistern, and the amount of opening the valves are capable of presenting due to the'setting'of their respective adjustment screws. y In practice 'it' is found that when some cisterns are emptied the'inflowing water produces water waves in: the cistern of sufficient size tomake the floats respectively rise and fa]. to put a light metal shield around the floats so as to protect them against this action.

For the better elucidation of our invention we will now describe the same by aid of the accompanying illustrative drawings wherein Fig. 1 is an elevation of the device illustrating a screw top jar or disinfectantcontainer which may bemodified in construction.

Fig. 2 is a section through line A-B In both of the illustrations similar letters of reference are used to denote similar or corresponding parts wherever they occur.

In the drawings a is a vessel preferably made of glass and provided with a screw threaded neck a. A screw threaded cover is shown at b and when the vessel is inverted this cover forms a floor to the upper chamber and isprovided with a valve seat 0 for the air inlet and a valve seat (Z for the disinfectant outlet, the latter being at a lower level than the former. i

We have illustrated a valvespindle e terminating in a needle point for the air inlet and a similar spindle f for the outlet of the disinfecting material. Both of the valves are mounted upon a float of any convenient kind, but Which the s mp i y of structure To overcome this difficulty we prefer may consist of a cork which may be varnished or otherwise rendered more impervious to moisture such floats being illustrated for the air and disinfectant respectively at g and h. i

We also provide a guide plate 7' for the bottom of the valves, there being an extension 70 of the cover which supports the guide plate and constitutes a wave shield for the protection of the floats. This shieldvmay completely surround the floats or it may be open-as illustrated in Fig. 2 so that the valves may be easily examined and adjusted.

Upon the guide plate j we form the screw threaded recesses Z and m respectively below the air and disinfectantvalve. These may be an integral portion of the guide plate or support 7' and are adapted to accommodate the adjusting screws n and oby which the effective height of the valves in relation to their respective. outlets may be easily adjusted. The opening in the shield is shown at a) in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

We also provide a metal band (7 which fits round the container and has a flexible steadying hook 1" attached thereto. This band can be elevated or depressed to enablethehook to it over the wall of the water cistern 8 and may be varied in height according to re quirements.

In practice it is found that the air inlet always requires a larger openingthan the disinfectant outlet and it will of course be understood that the air inlet will be above the level of the water in the fiushing'cistern after the flush has been made, but the water will gradually rise and close both valves automatically.

What we claim is '1. In adevice for disinfecting water closets and the like, a sealed vessel adapted to stand in the cistern, said vessel having. an air inlet opening and a discharge disinfecting opening at its lower end, the inner ends of which are approximately 0n the same level inside the vessel, the outer ends of the openings or tubes being at different levels, a valve for each opening, and ,floatsfofcontrolling the valves, said floats beingflocated below the valves in the flushing cistern and operated by the fall and rise of the water in the cistern. each timethe water isdischarged and the cistern is refilled.

2. In a devlce for disinfecting waterclosets and the like as claimed in cla m 1, means for elevating or depress'ing thewva'lves for adjusting the inlet and outlet openings to regulate the rate of discharge of disinfectant from the vessel and the admission of vair thereto. such device being also applicable for sealing up vessels when charged with disinfectant or the like duringtransit.

3. In a device for disinfecting water closets and the like as claimed in claim 1, the combination therewith of a Wave shield to protect the floats for interference byvvave influence. f

In testimony'whereof we aifix our signatures.

LEWIS ERNEST SAUNDERS, MENDEL r1NKn srn1N. 

